The Pilots of ALPA - Air Line Pilots Association
The Pilots of ALPA - Air Line Pilots Association
The Pilots of ALPA - Air Line Pilots Association
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THE PILOTS OF <strong>ALPA</strong><br />
Delta<br />
Delta’s MEC:<br />
Protecting Pilot<br />
Interests<br />
By Kelly Regus, <strong>ALPA</strong><br />
Senior Communications<br />
Specialist<br />
DAL at a Glance<br />
<strong>Pilots</strong> Joined <strong>ALPA</strong>:<br />
Delta—1934, Northwest<br />
—1932<br />
Number <strong>of</strong> <strong>Pilots</strong>: 12,313<br />
Operations: Delta is a leader<br />
in worldwide alliances including<br />
a joint venture with <strong>Air</strong><br />
France–KLM and Alitalia.<br />
Delta and its connection<br />
carriers fly domestically and<br />
internationally to more than<br />
348 destinations in 64 countries<br />
on 6 continents<br />
Pilot Bases: Atlanta,<br />
Cincinnati, Detroit,<br />
Los Angeles, Memphis,<br />
Minneapolis-St. Paul, New<br />
York City, Salt Lake City,<br />
Seattle<br />
Hub Cities: Amsterdam,<br />
Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit,<br />
Memphis, Minneapolis-St.<br />
Paul, New York-JFK, Paris, Salt<br />
Lake City, and Tokyo-Narita<br />
Headquarters: Atlanta, Ga.<br />
Fleet: More than 700 mainline<br />
aircraft consisting <strong>of</strong><br />
A319s, A320s, A330s, B-737s,<br />
B-747s, B-757s, B-767s,<br />
B-777s, DC-9s, MD-88s, and<br />
MD-90s<br />
Last September marked<br />
5 years since Delta (and<br />
Northwest) entered<br />
bankruptcy. It has been a<br />
challenging half-decade, to<br />
say the least, but contrast that<br />
with 2010, which has seen<br />
pilot hiring, block hours<br />
increasing, and a pr<strong>of</strong>itable<br />
airline.<br />
Delta’s turnaround<br />
has been dramatic.<br />
In addition to navigating<br />
bankruptcy, the pilot group<br />
was instrumental in defeating<br />
a hostile takeover attempt<br />
and faced industry challenges<br />
including oil market volatility<br />
and a severe recession. A<br />
positive turning point was<br />
the successful merger with<br />
Northwest <strong>Air</strong>lines in 2008.<br />
During the merger process,<br />
the pilots negotiated a<br />
significant equity stake in the<br />
company, pay increases, and<br />
contractual improvements.<br />
This January, pay rates<br />
increased by 4 percent, and<br />
Delta’s contribution to the<br />
retirement plans increased<br />
by an additional 1 percent for<br />
most Delta pilots. And for the<br />
first time since 2007, pr<strong>of</strong>it<br />
sharing will occur, providing<br />
Delta pilots the negotiated<br />
opportunity to share in the<br />
company’s financial success.<br />
Today, it is difficult to imagine<br />
a viable, healthy Delta without<br />
the unprecedented contributions<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Delta pilots.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Delta Master Executive<br />
Council (MEC) has also<br />
worked tirelessly not only to<br />
protect Delta pilot interests,<br />
but also to attempt at every<br />
opportunity to raise the bar<br />
for the entire airline piloting<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ession. Unity among<br />
<strong>ALPA</strong>-represented pilot groups<br />
is essential, as a gain in<br />
bargaining for one pilot group<br />
can <strong>of</strong>ten help strengthen the<br />
bargaining power <strong>of</strong> other<br />
<strong>ALPA</strong> pilot groups.<br />
But much work remains<br />
to be done. With the end <strong>of</strong><br />
2010, the Delta MEC is turning<br />
its focus to the contract<br />
amendable date <strong>of</strong> Dec. 31,<br />
2012, and full-scale Section<br />
6 negotiations. <strong>The</strong> MEC will<br />
enter negotiations financially<br />
well prepared, as the Special<br />
MEC Reserve Account (SMRA)<br />
already totals $7 million and<br />
continues to grow. Routine<br />
efforts will continue unabated<br />
on behalf <strong>of</strong> the pilots, but<br />
the MEC’s vigorous and<br />
renewed attention will turn to<br />
upcoming negotiations.<br />
While the Delta MEC<br />
Capt. Tim O’Malley, the new<br />
Delta MEC chairman.<br />
retains direction and oversight<br />
responsibility <strong>of</strong> MEC<br />
operations, the day-to-day<br />
support work is accomplished<br />
through the tireless efforts<br />
<strong>of</strong> the extended committee<br />
structure consisting <strong>of</strong> more<br />
than 30 committees, subcommittees,<br />
working groups, and<br />
hundreds <strong>of</strong> pilot volunteers.<br />
In addition, the <strong>Association</strong><br />
provides support to the Delta<br />
pilots with national committees<br />
and assigned expert staff<br />
from the Representation,<br />
Economic and Financial<br />
Analysis, Finance, Information<br />
Technology, Human Resources,<br />
Government Affairs, Retire -<br />
ment and Insurance, Member-<br />
ship Services, Engineering<br />
and <strong>Air</strong> Safety, and Communications<br />
Departments.<br />
Of special note is the<br />
newly reinstituted Delta<br />
Pilot-to-Pilot ® (P2P) program,<br />
a subcommittee <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Communications Committee.<br />
As <strong>of</strong> press time, approximately<br />
100 pilots have volunteered<br />
to serve as P2P volunteers.<br />
<strong>The</strong> program volunteers have<br />
already completed their first<br />
committee-wide conference<br />
call, and they will soon be<br />
joining Local Executive<br />
Council representatives in<br />
crew rooms across the Delta<br />
system in support <strong>of</strong> MEC<br />
objectives.<br />
On January 1, Capt. Tim<br />
O’Malley took the reins as<br />
the newly elected MEC chairman.<br />
O’Malley has served as<br />
the Delta MEC Negotiating<br />
Committee chairman through<br />
bankruptcy and the merger<br />
and also served as chairman<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>ALPA</strong>’s Collective Bargaining<br />
Committee. Capt. Jim Van<br />
Sickle and Capt. Kingsley<br />
Roberts were reelected vice<br />
chairman and treasurer, respectively.<br />
F/O Kevin Guilfoyle<br />
was elected secretary.<br />
“Bankruptcy and the<br />
merger are behind us, and the<br />
Delta pilots played a significant<br />
and vital role in helping<br />
our company to rebuild and<br />
succeed during a very difficult<br />
period,” remarks O’Malley.<br />
“It’s now time for our own<br />
rebuilding and to focus our efforts<br />
on sharing in the success<br />
that we were instrumental in<br />
creating.”<br />
As the newly elected MEC<br />
<strong>of</strong>ficers settle into their<br />
roles, the Delta MEC remains<br />
committed to continuing<br />
an aggressive and proactive<br />
strategy <strong>of</strong> engagement,<br />
with every effort focused on<br />
enhancing and protecting<br />
the lives and careers <strong>of</strong> Delta<br />
pilots and their families.<br />
January/February 2011 <strong>Air</strong> <strong>Line</strong> Pilot 31